Seven Days
by Charlieboyyy
Summary: After being best friends with Kari for so long, TK finally acknowledges he has a crush on her. Wanting to express his feelings, TK gathers his courage and tries to pursue Kari. However, in a span of seven days, he realizes how difficult that may be. R&R!
1. Day Seven: A Story to be Told

Hey guys! Welcome to my new story! It's been a while since I started on a new project but, after a lot of thought and consideration, I'm really excited about this project. After finishing up my other story, "The Fate of One" (which, if you guys have time, should read and review) I realized that my passion for writing had stirred up again. With that being said, I promise I will finish this story in a timely manner (Unlike, "The Fate of One") and that is a promise I intend to keep! (Please believe me!) Anyways, like the description stated, this is a Takari fic and takes place after Season 2 of the Digimon series. The exact time isn't important; just know that the characters of this story are well into their own personal lives after the season's end. This story is a romantic and humorous (at least I hope so) one so for all of those who are looking for action and drama…I'm sorry. I don't want to give anything away (the description should let you know what the basis is) so I'll just go on with the story. Hope you all enjoy! Oh and please review! Your feedback is quite appreciated!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON.

**Day Seven**

Matt Ishida sat on his couch, casually flipping through the various channels on TV. While he looked for something interesting to watch, the cool headed boy yawned at the current boredom of his day. It was a nice Sunday afternoon with the sun out shining brightly as kids his age were out mingling with their friends and spending the beautiful day in aimless fun. This may have seemed attractive to any other high school senior but for Matt, it was a joy that he did not share. A nice day for the blonde was simply staying home in solitude, being away from all the distractions of the outside world while he relaxed and enjoyed his day off by himself. He figured, he saw his peers for most of the week so a day or two alone was a comforting change in scenario from his usual life.

He picked up a glass of water he had poured himself and sipped on it nonchalantly. As he did so, however, his front door was barged open, causing much commotion throughout the peaceful apartment. The sudden uproar caused Matt to choke on his water.

"I'm here Matt! I ran all the way here from my apartment as soon as I got your call. I'm a little bit tired but once I catch my breath, I'll be ok." A panting and fast talking Tai shouted as he entered the apartment, face full of determination and anxiety. Before Matt could say anything, his best friend continued, "I have my Digivice already and my goggles on! I brought my backpack and filled it with water, food, and other supplies in case we might have to stay overnight at the Digital World." He clapped his hands in excitement. "I am ready, baby! Ready to take on whatever danger or evil comes our way!" He looked around the apartment before calming down a bit. "Where are the others?"

A startled Matt simply gave him a befuddled look. "Uh…Tai, what are you doing?"

"You said there was an emergency! And that you wanted me over at your apartment ASAP!"

"Uh…no, I didn't."

"Yes you did!" Tai yelled at him with excitement. Matt could literally see the adrenaline flowing through the brown haired boy's veins.

"Ok, Tai…first you need to calm down. Have some water." The blonde offered his cup to his friend. Tai rushed over to the couch, took the water, and gulped it down quickly. The Digidestined of Friendship watched in amazement at his speed.

"Ok, I drank the water. What's happening?"

"You're not calm…"

"I AM CALM." The goggle head boy exclaimed. "Now, tell me, what's going on?!"

Matt sighed. He knew it was a mistake to call his best friend. "Can you remember our conversation we had on the phone?"

"Yes, of course!"

"Are you sure?" Matt pressed on. Tai in turn gave him a confused look.

"Are you taking me for an idiot?"

"Not completely." The blonde muttered. "Ok, let me refresh your memory. This is how our conversation happened…"

* * *

"_Hey, Matt. What's up?"_

"_Hey, Tai. Nothing much. Just at home, relaxing. What are you up to right now?"_

"_NOTHING." Tai exasperated. "I'm so bored. Want to hang out?" A hint of excitement trailed at the end of his question._

"_Actually, I'm calling because I was wondering if you could come down to my apartment. Something came up and I think I'm going to need your help. It's not too urgent so if you have plans then it's cool. What do you think? Think you can come down?" A silence followed."Tai? Are you still there?"_

"_I'm sorry but the number you have called have either hung up or is out of service. Please try again." An automated voice replied._

_Matt closed his cell phone, somewhat bewildered. "What the…Where did that guy go?"_

_

* * *

  
_

The Digidestined of Courage gave the blonde a peculiar look. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Huh…" Tai sat down next to his best friend. "So…there's no trouble in the Digital World?"

Matt shook his head.

"No…looming evil getting ready to destroy all forces of good and trying to conquest the world?"

"Nope."

"No--"

"No, Tai," the cool boy interrupted. "There is _nothing_ of that matter."

The crazy haired boy grew despondent. "Aw man…I thought we were going to save the Digital World again! I even put on my goggles!"

"Well…I'm sorry to disappoint you."

Tai sighed. "Ok, ok…" He looked up at his friend. "So, why did you call me over then?"

Matt tilted his head at his bedroom. Tai looked at the bedroom and then looked back at the blonde with a puzzled look. Then, a sudden realization hit him. He got up suddenly with his eyes big from his epiphany.

"D-did…you…?"

"Did I what?"

"Did you...Is there…IS THERE A GIRL IN THERE, MATT ISHIDA?!" Tai exclaimed in shock.

Matt's face exploded in complete confusion; he was completely lost as to what his friend was trying to say. "HUH?"

"OH MY GOD, MATT. THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE! All this time I thought you were shy with the ladies but this…" Tai's voice squeaked as the excitement continued to build. He continued in a frenetic pace. "Don't worry, Matt, I won't tell a soul! I promise! Well, of course, I'll have to tell the others about this; they _have_ to know. I wonder how Sora will take this…Never mind! I have your back no matter what! Don't worry about a thing! If the girl tries to attack you or defame your reputation, I'll tell people how good of a guy you are and that everything you do, you do with good intentions! If she comes out and it's awkward, I'll break the awkwardness! By the way, congratulations, Matt. I never knew you had it in you. How did it happen by the way? Was it like one of those romantic scenes where both of you just knew it was the right moment? Or was she drunk? WAIT. DID YOU USE…? OH GOD, PLEASE TELL ME YOU USED--"

"TAI!" Matt yelled, stopping the fast talking boy before he continued. The blonde was blushing madly and completely in shock. "There isn't a girl in my room!" He hotly explained.

The goggle head friend in turn gave a perplexed look. "Huh? There isn't? Then why did you point at your room?"

"Because, TK is in there!"

"HUH? WAIT A MINUTE. Did TK…?"

Matt couldn't believe his best friend's lack of intuition. "NO. No one was ever in that situation! Get your head out of the gutter…"

"Then…I don't understand. What's so important that you wanted me to come over?"

"It's about TK. He's going through some hard times right now and I was _hoping_ that you could help me talk to him."

"Oh…" Matt could tell some of Tai's original excitement died down a bit. "Well, that's easy. What's wrong with him?"

The blonde shook his head. "I don't know. I was hoping we could have him explain it to us."

"What's he doing in your room?"

"He just came down and told me he was going to sleep. Then, he went into my room and fell asleep on my bed."

"Oh…" Tai took a moment to process everything. "Well, why didn't you say so earlier?"

The fellow Digidestined gave him a look of disbelief. Realizing that it was futile to argue with Tai's dense head, he shook his head in defeat. "I don't know." He stated sarcastically.

"It's alright; I forgive you." With that, Tai slapped Matt across the back. "Shall we?"

"Yes. Lets." The blonde muttered. The two of them made their way to the bedroom and knocked on the closed door.

"TK?" There was no response. After a brief moment of silence, the blonde quietly opened the door. The two high school seniors made their way into the room only to see a sprawled younger boy on Matt's bed.

"TK? Tai's here to see you." TK's older brother stated. A groan escaped from TK in response.

"Hey TK!" Tai brightly added. "Matt told me you were down about something so he called me over here so that we can cheer you up!" A louder groan followed.

"Come on TK." Matt persisted. "I know something's been bothering you for a while now. You shouldn't keep it inside and sulk around like this." When there was no reply, he added, "You know, you're on my bed…Technically speaking, I could just kick you out…"

"Leave me alone." TK mumbled under the pillow.

"Now, TK, you know that _I'm_ not going to leave you alone. If I need to, I will take extreme measures to get your cooperation." Again, there was no reply. Seeing this, Tai reached over across the bed and snatched the younger boy's hat. Immediately, TK got up.

"Hey! Give me back my hat!" He started wrestling with Tai who was waving around his hat in a taunting manner.

"Not until you tell us what's going on!"

After a futile struggle of trying to get his hat back, the Digidestined of Hope gave up. He sighed loudly, realizing the situation he was in. "You guys are really not going to give up huh?"

"Nope." both of the older males replied in unison.

"Fine." With that, TK fell back into the bed, silent as he was before. Tai blinked a couple times, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"So…Does this mean you'll tell us?" The crazy haired boy asked.

"No." TK grunted.

Matt sighed at his younger brother's stubbornness. Tai, however, did not let the troubled blonde's actions derail him.

"Come on, TK. I'm sure Kari wouldn't want to see you like this." The Kamiya boy teased. He knew the younger boy had a crush on his sister and often times used it to poke fun at his friend. While never admitting it, Tai actually wanted Kari and TK to get together; he couldn't think of anyone else who would be better suited and would protect his younger sibling than the blonde before him.

A loud and elongated groan could be heard from TK. Both Matt and Tai gave each other a look; they knew they had just hit a soft spot. Being careful with the situation, Matt gently pushed on, "Did something happen with Kari?"

A pause followed. Finally, TK responded, "I don't want to talk about it."

"TK, I'm Kari's older brother. I can help you with whatever is going on!"

"Yeah, listen to Tai. We're both here to hear you out. Plus, I'm your older brother so it's my duty to make sure you're ok."

After a while, much to the two older boy's delight, TK slowly got up from the bed. Not wanting to rush the young boy, both of them waited patiently while he sat contemplating his situation.

"You guys really aren't going to give up, huh?" He finally asked.

Both of his seniors shook their head. Seeing their determination, TK let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll tell you." He scratched his head. "But first…give me my hat back."

Tai gave him a distrusting look. "You promise you'll tell us what's going on?"

"Yes, I will. I just want my hat back."

Matt couldn't help but chuckle at TK. His younger brother had just a childish obsession about his hat; it was comical to see a young teenager so worked up about something so simple. After a brief moment, Tai handed the precious hat back to its owner. Quickly snatching it back, TK placed it on his head with a relieved look on his face.

"Ok, I held my end of the bargain. Now, it's your turn." The Digidestined of Courage reminded him.

"I know, I know." TK sighed in submission. He made himself comfortable as he continued, "I don't know where to begin…Well, actually, there's a confession I have to make…" He paused as he bit his lower lip in hesitation. "Tai, Matt. I like Kari."

Of course both of the older boys knew this way before even TK himself knew it. Amongst the older Digidestined, everyone assumed that the two would end up together based on how much they hung out and how well they connected; it was simply of matter of time, for the others, before the two younger Digidestined would realize it as well. However, for the sake of secrecy, Matt and Tai gave a fake gasp at what TK had just admitted.

"No…" Matt exclaimed, trying his best to act surprised.

"I would have never guessed." Tai added.

Surprisingly, TK nodded, believing in the two's act. "It's true. And I'm sorry Tai. I was going to tell you before but I wasn't sure about it until recently."

"What made you realize it recently?" His older brother asked.

"I don't know…I guess a while ago, it just hit me. After that, I just thought about what to do in terms of my feelings and how I should act in front of her. I mean, I am her best friend, you know? And I realized that I wanted to express these feelings to her but the right opportunity never came up. And honestly, I was fine with that. I always thought that I had a lot of time and that I could slowly bring it up, eventually. But…" TK moaned once again. "I messed it up, ruined our friendship, and now have absolutely NO chance with her!" He plopped himself back on the bed.

"Wait, TK! How did you mess it up?" Matt inquired, curious as to where his story was going.

The younger Digidestined got up in a sulking manner. "Well, it all started about a week ago…"

Did you guys like it? I know it's a bit vague right now but it's only the opening chapter. Things will pick up and get more interesting as the story goes on. For those of you who have read my old works, this story will be written in a style similar to my "Welcome to The Unknown" story although the two are not connected. Please review! Your support and comments are taking very seriously! Thanks everyone!


	2. Day One: How It All Started

You know, coming back to this website , I realized that it's not as active as it was before. Has the website died down or is it just me? Anyways, here's the next chapter!

**Day One**

TK gazed listlessly at the teacher up front as he sat through his math class. While his teacher was writing a bunch of important formulas on the board that would, without a doubt, benefit the blonde if he paid attention, the teenage boy just couldn't help but doze off. Math was his worst subject as he had a difficult time understanding the logic behind it and, more importantly, couldn't see why he needed the class in the future. Also, it didn't help that his teacher was somewhat boring. Luckily, math was his last class of the day and would be the finale to his Monday at school.

As TK continued to be disinterested with the class, he caught himself looking up at the clock; it was still five minutes until the class would be over. He silently cursed. He had been glancing at the clock multiple times but the more he looked, the slower time seemed to pass. In a somewhat defeated mood, TK sighed softly as he lowered his head and closed his eyes, daydreaming.

"All right. With that being said, I think I am going to end class a little bit early today." The professor stated. As soon he finished, TK quickly snapped back to reality, stuffed his book into his backpack, and made his way out of his seat with sudden renewed energy.

"Don't forget! Your homework for tomorrow is--" TK didn't hear the rest; he was already out of the class before his teacher could finish. Right as he exited the classroom, a loud bell rang sharply throughout the halls. Like a buzzard that had officially freed all the students from their imprisonment known as school, TK shuddered at the overwhelming sensation of relief and excitement as it went off.

Hundreds of kids quickly filled up the hallway, all of whom were just as happy as TK was. Loud chattering and continuous locker slamming filled up the once quiet area. Like every other Monday, the end of the day came with much more satisfaction and joy than other days.

The blonde boy made his way through the throng of students and opened his locker. As he opened it, he heard his name in the distance.

"TK!"

He turned around only to be greeted by his fellow basketball teammates. He gave them a smile as they approached him.

"Hey guys. What's up?"

"Hey, we're going to shoot some hoops soon. Want to join us?" A tall and slender boy asked.

"Eh…"

"Come on, 'Freshmen Sensation'." Another male sneered in a joking manner. "We know you're too good for us but we really need another player." This brought out a couple laughs from the group.

TK sighed. It had been almost six months since he entered high school and joined the basketball team. During that time, the blonde had displayed such great basketball skills and poise that he actually became the only freshmen in Odaiba High history to make the varsity team. Through the games they played, TK was often the star of the team, scoring at will, breaking records, and hustling in every game with a great passion and desire. It wasn't long into the basketball season that people started nicknaming him, 'The Freshmen Sensation'. It was embarrassing for the blonde; people actually started calling him by that alias and were chanting it during games. And even though the season was over, he still found himself being referred to it by numerous people.

"You guys…" He continued as the others chuckled. "You know I hate that name."

"Well then, come on! Play with us!"

TK closed up his backpack and slammed his locker shut. He looked at his friends with a small smile. "Fine. I'll play. I'll be there in five minutes."

"Alright! We'll see you on the court then!" With that, TK greeted his teammates goodbye as they hurriedly went off to the high school basketball courts.

With his backpack on and full of eagerness, TK made his way outside. With the sunlight shined over him, he gazed on as various kids were mingling outside, chatting with their schoolmates and enjoying their Monday afternoon, while others were trying to arrange a sport game, ranging from soccer to basketball. The sight of a normal and typical high school day brought out a grin on the young boy's face.

"TK!!!" A mob of girls shrieked as they saw him. The blonde's grin quickly disappeared as he dreaded what was about to happen.

"It's TK!!!"

"Oh my God!"

"I want to touch him! Again!" The fan girls rushed over to him like a mob of hungry animals wanting to eat. Unfortunately for TK, he happened to be the main meal.

"Not again…" TK muttered to himself. With his life in danger, the blonde swiftly ran away from the horde, using his agility to distance himself from the crazy girls. He ran around the school and even went back inside, hoping to lose the predators. For precautious measures, he stayed indoors for a while, waiting for the moment to past so that ultimately, the girls would give up in their chase.

Since the school year started, he had been the center of unwanted female trouble. Girls constantly kept flirting with him, bothering him with embarrassing dialogues or kept eyeing him as if he was some sort of precious gem. The nuisance grew even worse when basketball season started; the more TK displayed his basketball talents, the more aggressive and wild the girls got. Eventually, it had reached the point where there was even a humiliating website dedicated solely for him, created by his fan girls. For TK, someone who never wanted attention and simply wished to go by in life normally without any stress, it was a horrible curse that he never could get rid of. He tried all methods to stop the girls; he tried to reason, argue, even tried to avert the attention to someone else, but no matter what he did, it only seemed to fuel the problem. After a while, TK resorted to running as his only option to deal with the girls. He didn't like it; it almost seemed like he was literally running away from his problems. But the blonde realized he really had no other choice.

When enough time passed, the blonde slowly made his way outside. To his relief, he couldn't see any of the girls in sight. However, before he could get too comfortable, a tap on his back froze him. He quickly turned around only to be greeted by the one girl he actually looked forward to seeing.

"Hey." Kari, his best friend, greeted while smiling sweetly at him. She was wearing her school uniform just like everyone else but, for some reason, the brunette always stood out in TK's opinion. Her shoulder length, chestnut brown and soft hair along with her crimson eyes seemed to fit perfectly the young girl's angelic and innocent face. Along with a slender figure and decent height, Kari was definitely an attractive girl that had many boys enticed.

TK smiled. "Hey, Kari. Am I glad to see you."

His best friend giggled. "Hiding from your fan club, I see."

The blonde blushed slightly from embarrassment. "Yeah…"

"Maybe I should scream really loud so that those girls will hear…" She started to tease.

"You think you're such a jokester." TK sarcastically countered. "With all your pranks and cruel jokes, huh?"

Kari giggled. "I'm sorry. I must have picked it up from Tai."

"Eh…I don't think so. You've always been like that."

The brunette pouted playfully. "You know, I never said I was joking about screaming…"

"Alright, alright." TK quickly defended. "You win." This in turn made the girl giggle. The older boy couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"What are you up to right now?" Kari asked.

"I was going to play basketball with the guys." TK paused before continuing. "Do you want to come and watch?" The reason why he had paused was because it was actually the first time the teenage boy had asked his counterpart to come and watch him play. Before, he never wanted to bother Kari by putting her in a position where she had to choose to watch; he always wanted her to make that decision by herself, to come on her own free will without any obligations towards him. However, due to his newfound emotions, the blonde suddenly had an urge for Kari to observe his basketball skills.

There was, without a doubt, a change in TK when it came to his best friend. What used to be simple and mundane in their relationship like talking, walking together, spending time with each other, and creating memories unexpectedly had a new twist in it; he found himself looking forward to those moments. Sometimes, the very thought of being around Kari made TK extremely happy and eager. Enough so that he would daydream for most of the day thinking about it. And when he was around the brunette, he often had a queasy feeling in his stomach and his heart would be filled with emotions. However, the blonde did not take those two feelings in a bad way; if anything, he actually liked those feelings as it surged a type of euphoria throughout his body, like he was in a blissful dream.

At first, TK was unsure of his feelings but after careful contemplation and thought, he realized he was falling for his best friend. The very first reaction was concern; the young boy didn't want to endanger their friendship over his own selfish emotions. But, the more he thought about it, the more he started to see that she was, in every essence, perfect for him. The beautiful young girl knew him better than anyone, even himself. They also have known each other for so long that their relationship already had a strong foundation. Most importantly, Kari was the only girl TK felt completely comfortable with. Seeing that he had stumbled upon the perfect girl and knowing that he would rarely find someone he would feel this strongly about, the blonde decided that it was an opportunity too rewarding to simply walk away from. With that resolve, TK decided he would attempt to push their friendship into the next level.

With that being said, TK also knew that he needed to transition the relationship slowly; any wrong move would come with dire consequences. And it was something the young boy was fine with. He knew that time really wasn't an issue. They were both really young and would be together as best friends for a long time so it didn't bother TK that he would have to wait. He figured, considering how much he liked her, he could be patient.

Speaking of the young girl, Kari simply smiled at his request. "Of course, TK."

Her response brought out a grin on TK's face. The butterflies in his stomach started to act up again at the thought of playing basketball while his best friend cheered him on.

"Ok! Want to walk together to the courts?" An excited TK asked.

Kari giggled. "Of course, silly. Why wouldn't we?"

"Oh right." He sheepishly replied. "Makes sense to."

"Shall we get going? Don't want to make you late, 'Freshmen Sensation.'" She teased. This brought out a blush from TK. While he did feel embarrassed being referred to his nickname, hearing Kari call him that actually made the blonde feel good about it.

The two students made their way to Odaiba High's basketball courts. They saw TK's friends were there, shooting around, getting ready for their pick-up game. When they saw the blonde, they yelled at him to hurry so they could start the game. With that, TK ran over to his friends, leaving Kari at a nearby bench where she could watch as they played.

Quickly, the teams were made and the game started. Right from the start, TK made an impression; he scored the first three points for his team and was all over the court, playing with an intensity he only brought out during actual games. After he scored his fourth point, he heard a multitude of cheering and shrieking from the bench. Curious, he glanced over; the fan girls were the source of the outcries as they were watching him play. Silently, he sighed in somewhat resignation in his inability to get rid of them. He took a second glance at Kari, who was separated from his fan club. She was watching as well with amusement and interest but, much to the blonde's chagrin, wasn't too enthusiastic with his performance.

Before his thought could carry on, he realized he had run out of bounds with the ball. Many of his teammates laughed at his foolish mistake.

"Hey, TK, stop staring at those girls and pay attention to where you're going with the ball!" One of his friends jokingly stated. Somewhat humiliated, TK focused back on the game. Shortly after, the game was over; it was no competition with the level of passion and intensity the Digidestined of Hope displayed. His friends simply shook their heads in amazement over how fast the game was finished, many of which congratulated him on such a performance.

With the game done, TK made his way to the bench. This in turn made many of the crazy girls who watched scream louder with every step he drew closer to them. However, he ignored them and signaled Kari if they could leave the scene. His best friend understood and quietly got up and followed. As they left, TK could hear the moan of disappointment from all the other girls.

"Well, that was easier than I thought." He remarked.

"Maybe they gave up chasing you." Kari stated.

"I hope so. That would make my life so much easier." This brought out a giggle from the girl to his side. "So…what did you think of the game?" He inquired. As soon as he asked the question, he immediately regretted it; he sounded like a little child wanting the attention and approval of his parents.

However, Kari didn't seem to notice as she simply smiled and replied, "You played well."

"Oh…" The blonde was a little disappointed with her response. While he wasn't sure exactly what he was expecting to hear, he did want to impress his best friend and seemed to fail to do so.

Kari looked up at the young boy. "I'm sorry I'm not more into your games. I never really understood basketball; you can blame Tai for that. But I know you played really well." TK could tell she added her last statement in hopes that it would show that she was still interested while watching.

The Digidestined boy gave a small sigh. He then silently cursed himself for not picking up soccer over basketball. Quickly after, to reassure Kari that he was ok with everything, TK gave her a grin.

"Thanks Kari. I'm just glad you watched."

"Of course! That's what friends are for." Her statement stung the blonde somewhat.

"Yeah, I guess…Wait, where are we going?"

"Oh, I was kind of hoping to head over to the soccer field. I heard some of the guys were playing and wanted to watch."

"Oh…sure, let's do that." Even though TK found himself growing more despondent, he hid it from Kari, not wanting her to suspect or worry about anything.

When they arrived at the enormous soccer field, both of them saw that quite a few guys were already playing a soccer match.

"Let's head over to the bleachers." Kari suggested.

"Yeah, let's do that. I wonder if Davis is playing?" TK asked.

"I think he is. I think I see his goggles from here."

The teenage boy chuckled. "What's up with soccer guys and goggles?"

The two of them sat down and started to observe the game before them. Davis, their Digidestined friend, was playing well from what TK could tell and the game was very competitive. None of the players seemed to have an edge over the others as the match was an even battle.

."Hey! Jet's playing!" Kari exclaimed while excitedly watching the match.

"Oh really? Where is he?" Jet was a guy that Kari talked about to TK recently. It turned out that he was actually in four of Kari's six classes and was pretty good friends with her. While before TK never thought much of her friend, he suddenly went a pang of jealously that Kari noticed him in the massive field.

"He's the one with the shoulder length black hair." She pointed out. While it was difficult to make out the players since all of them were wearing their school uniforms, TK was eventually able to spot who she was talking about.

"Oh…He's not bad." He commented. From what TK could see, the boy named Jet was decent at soccer; nothing special but he wasn't the worst player.

"Yeah. I didn't know he played soccer. HEY JET!" Her yell surprised TK.

The raven haired boy, who was playing defense, looked up and when he saw Kari waving, he grinned and gave her a thumb up.

"HEY KARI!!! IT'S ME DAVIS!" The young spiky haired boy screamed back waving his hands franticly, ignoring the fact that Kari never actually yelled for him. Completely unaware of the soccer match, the soccer ball rolled past Davis, leaving many of his teammates yelling at him. TK couldn't help but chuckle once more at his friend's tenacious effort.

The brunette also found Davis' antics humorous as she giggled. "HEY DAVIS!"

Shortly, the game continued. While the match was even, one team gained the momentum and finally scored a goal, ending the game; it seemed that Jet's team had lost. For some reason, TK was expecting the soccer player to throw a fit like Davis was but instead, he was all smiles and shook everyone's hand, showing great sportsmanship to the winning team.

After he finished, Jet made his way to the bleachers, grinning as he did. Kari got up from her seat and made her way down to greet her friend.

"Hey Kari! When did you come?" Jet asked.

"I came a bit after the game started. But enough to see that you play soccer." She added in a teasing manner. "Seriously, Jet, I didn't know you played! You know I love soccer!"

The boy blushed. "Ah, it was nothing. It's just a hobby. I'm really not that good."

TK simply watched as the two greeted each other. He felt a bit uncomfortable but refused to leave; he didn't want to make things awkward for Kari.

Right on cue, Kari noticed TK still in the bleachers. "Oh, Jet, this is my friend, TK Takaishi. TK, this is Jet Yoshihara." With the introduction, TK made his way own and shook hands with the phenomenal soccer player.

"Oh wow. It's so nice to meet you, TK!" Jet stated with a hint of excitement. "I watched all the Odaiba High games and I have to say, you are something else as a basketball player. When Kari told me that you two were best friends, I was hoping I would run into you."

TK gave a small smile. "It's nice to meet you too, Jet. You're a pretty good soccer player based on what I saw."

Jet laughed. "No, no. I'm average. Nothing compared to what you do on the basketball court."

Being up close to the other boy and getting a better look, TK was somewhat impressed at Jet. Unlike TK's slender body frame, Jet was much more muscular and toned than the blonde. Also, he was decent looking; with chiseled cheeks, short straight black hair, and a great smile, Jet was definitely someone that TK could easily see some girls infatuated over. For some reason, that realization made him a little envious and jealous.

Before he could think more about the situation, he heard his name from afar. He glanced over to see his basketball friends were waving at him from the distance. Seeing them, he reverted his attention to Jet.

"I'm sorry Jet but I have to go; my friends are calling me."

"Oh that's fine! I'm sure we'll hang out more some other time." He happily responded.

TK turned to Kari. "What are you going to do?"

The brunette gave a smile. "I think I'm going stay here with Jet for a while."

Outwardly, the Digidestined of Hope nodded in response. However, inside, his jealously continued to grow. Normally, he and Kari would walk home together, alone, something he looked forward to. It somewhat troubled the blonde that she wanted to stay with Jet. Soon though, TK realized where his thoughts were taking him and quickly dismissed them; there was no reason for him to feel disappointed or jealous. He actually felt bad for feeling such petty emotions. With a strong resolve, he gave Kari a smile.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow then!" He started to walk off, leaving the two.

Kari waved back. "Bye TK! See you tomorrow!"

The blonde made his way until the two were simply blimps in the horizon. His basketball friends were waiting for him as he walked over to them.

"Hey guys!" TK greeted them. "What's up?"

"Dude," One of his teammates started. "You owe us."

The blonde gave him a quizzical look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, we saved you from being a third wheel!"

"Huh?"

"You don't know? You know who Jet is right?"

"Yeah…"

The teammate pointed at Kari and Jet who were afar. "Jet likes Kari! I think he's going to ask her out soon!"

The sudden news shocked TK. Unable to say anything at first, he simply looked over at where Jet and Kari were standing. "A-are you sure about that?"

"Yeah man! He and I are good friends and he told me personally! So…You're welcome!" He patted TK on the shoulder.

"Yeah, nothing's worse than being a third wheel." Another one of his friends stated. Right when he said that however, all of them witnessed as Davis rushed over to Jet and Kari and completely budded in on their conversation.

"Wow, Davis…"

TK heard a chuckle behind him. "That's Davis for you; no shame."

"Man, I'm hungry! Let's go get something to eat!" The rest of the boys mumbled in agreement. TK, however, wasn't paying attention as he was simply fixated at the interaction between his best friend and the boy who supposedly liked her.

"Hey TK. Are you coming?" The question snapped the Digidestined out of his trance. He quickly nodded at them in agreement. As he started to walk off, he found himself unable to shake off a certain feeling of discomfort and concern over what he had just discovered. Not wanting to let his feelings to get the better of him, TK pushed them aside and decided he would worry about them some other day.

* * *

Tai and Matt were quiet once the younger boy finished his story about his Monday. They both gave each other a silent look before returning their attention to TK.

"So…" Tai started.

"About this website…" Matt pressed on.

TK gave them a confused look. "Huh?"

"The website that…the girls made about you… Do you think…we can…see it?" Tai managed to let out while trying to control his laughter. Before long, both of the older Digidestined were on the floor, roaring with laughter while TK looked on in embarrassment.

"Seriously TK," Matt started while still laughing. "You should've told me about this earlier. I could've used it to brighten my day!"

"What's on the website??? Are there love letters on it???" Tai continued with the teasing.

"You guys!" TK gave them a incredulous look. After all he had told them, the only thing they seemed to remember was the humiliating website he had briefly mentioned.

Tai started to somber up as his laughter died down. Matt, however, was still laughing hysterically. Seeing his best friend and how the younger Digidestined was reacting to the teasing, Tai jabbed Matt in the stomach, signaling him to stop. Matt's uproar eventually died down.

"I'm sorry TK but that's pretty funny, you have to admit." The cool headed blonde remarked.

"Not really…" TK grumbled.

"Yeah, I mean, how many people actually _visit_ that site? OH! Can you leave comments on it??? Can I leave one too???" Tai blurted. This lead to both of the older boys laughing again.

"That's it! I'm not finishing the story!" A blushing and angry TK proclaimed.

Matt gave his brother a funny look while laughing. "TK, you need to calm down. From the sound of it, it doesn't even seem that bad."

"Yeah, man." The Digidestined of Courage added. "I mean, a lot of guys had a crush on Kari. They never go anywhere."

TK sighed. "You don't understand; it gets worse." This made both of the older boys quiet and attentive.

"How so?" A curious Matt asked.

"Well, it got _really_ bad on Tuesday…"

* * *

Well, that's it for that chapter. Did you guys like it??? I hope you did. I know right now it's going slow but the pace will pick up! Please read and review! Your comments are greatly appreciated!!!


	3. Day Two: The Power of Words

Hey guys! Sorry for the late update. I spilled water on my old laptop so I was computer-less for a while. But now, I have a new one and can finally work on this story! Thanks for the wait!

**Day Two**

"TK?"

The blonde snapped out of his daze and quickly came back to reality. He was eating lunch with his friends but was not paying attention to them; instead, his mind was constantly wandering off. Since yesterday, TK had been unable to focus on much the following day. With his thoughts elsewhere, time seemingly flew as he quickly found himself sitting in the cafeteria, eating lunch.

"Yeah, what's up?" He answered back, recovering from his daydreaming.

One of his friends gave him a quizzical look. "Are you ok, man? You've been zoning out a lot."

"Yeah, I'm ok. Just tired I guess." TK lied. "What did you ask?"

"I asked you who you thought is the cutest girl at school."

"Oh." The young blonde cleared his throat. "Uh…I don't know."

"Shut up, TK! Stop being so shy and just tell us!" His other friend persisted.

"Yeah, tell us who you think is the cutest and then hottest."

"Isn't that the same?"

"Dude, no. Cute is like cute. Hot is just hot."

"Oh, I get it."

TK mentally sighed at the pointless conversation. His friends often talked about meaningless topics and Tuesday was no different. What was worse was that his friends would often drag him into the discussion, putting him in awkward situations. For some reason, topics like the ones his group of friends talked about were hard to relate to for the blonde and he normally did not partake in their talks. But, every now and then, they would corner him and literally force him to participate.

"Anyways, back to TK." One of his buddies interrupted. "So? Who do you think is the cutest?"

"Uh…" TK quickly stuffed a french fry into his mouth, hoping to stall enough time so that the group would become restless and disinterested. When he saw that his plan wasn't going to work, he exaggerated the delay, deliberately chewing his food as slowly as possible. The intense and interested eyes of his friends continued to be focused on him as if a big spotlight had shined upon the young boy. Realizing his efforts were futile, he ended his charade in defeat.

The question was definitely a topic that TK was uncomfortable with for many reasons. While he was a guy, he refrained from stereotyping or categorizing his peers, believing such act was childish and somewhat demeaning. However, it seemed his friends did not share his view. Also, he knew that whoever he answered as the cutest girl would immediately lead his friends to assume he liked that girl which could start rumors; the last thing he needed was gossip to spread around school about him.

Despite his stance about the question, it did bring up an intriguing train of thought for TK. Beforehand, he wouldn't have any particular girl in mind but, thinking about it, he did actually have a girl. Lately, she had been dominating his attention with her discreet beauty and her intoxicating charm. Her silky, straight, chestnut hair shouldered perfectly on her cute and gentle face. Her alluring auburn eyes and her flawless skin. Her sweet and innocent personality with a streak of mischief along with her strong sense of justice and righteousness. The more TK thought about it, the more his heart beat with nervousness and yearn. Never before did he think of the girl in such an attractive manner and it left him incredulous; he must have been blind to not have noticed such traits about her. But now he saw and the realization left the blonde unsure and strange. As his mind started to wander off once again, TK absentmindedly picked up a french fry and ate it, chewing in a slow manner.

One of his friends budged closer to TK and snickered, "It's Kari, huh?"

The statement made the young blonde's eyes widen. Soon after, he started choking on his food, coughing as it went down the wrong hole.

"Ohhh, looks like you hit a soft spot." Another boy proclaimed. This left all the other boys except the coughing TK laughing. The blonde gave them all a glare.

"Guys," He started. "I think there's much more interesting things to talk about than this…"

"Look at that; Takeru Takaishi, are you avoiding the topic? Do you_ really_ like Kari?" One of his basketball peers asked with a great deal of interest in his voice.

"No!" TK lied. "I don't. I've told you guys this before. Kari and I are only best friends."

"You're lying. Say that again, only loudly and with confidence. Then, I'll believe you."

TK hesitated. While he didn't want to be pressured into his friend's childish game, if he didn't oblige, he knew what was going to happen. The only way he could save himself from his predicament is if the blonde did as he was told. The more TK weighed his options, the more he thought that the act wasn't too bad. The cafeteria was loud so no one would really hear him. And it would clear up any suspicions against him and prevent rumors; while he did have feelings for Kari, he wasn't ready for everyone else to know that little fact.

With all eyes on him, TK took a deep breath and straightened out his back.

"Kari and I are only best friends!" He stated in a tone louder than his normal voice.

"Oh really now?" TK turned around to the source of the question only to be confronted by Kari and Yolei. Based on the voice, TK could tell it was Yolei who had asked it. Regardless, the sight of the two girls made his stomach turn. His eyes widened and his jaw became slightly agape.

"Yolei…? K-Kari…?" He managed to get out. He tried to think of something to say, anything to say, but no matter how hard he tried, the young boy couldn't get cohesive words to come out of his mouth. Instead, he simply sat, looking up at his fellow Digidestined.

"I think the jury's still out on that one, TK." Yolei remarked with a slight giggle. "Right, Kari?"

The brunette gave her friend an embarrassed look. Yolei just shrugged. Kari then turned her attention to TK, giving him a smile. " Yolei's just joking around. Of course we're just best friends, TK. I don't think I could see you any other way."

"Y-yea…" The blonde mumbled back. Inside, TK was devastated. Kari's last statement ripped a whole his insides apart, as if someone had repeatedly punched him in the stomach. A despondent feeling swept over his body; the brunette's words rang throughout TK's mind, echoing ever so loudly, worsening the effect. Yet, despite the pain brought upon him, TK's outer appearance remained the same.

"Well, I'll catch you later, TK." Kari stated, unaware of the damage she had caused. With that, she grabbed hold of Yolei and led the lavender haired girl away from TK and his friends' table.

As his friends continued with their rambling, TK lost himself in his own thoughts. The pain still stung and, worse, it seemed to linger with the boy. Even though he knew that Kari thought of him as her best friend, he had hoped, later on in the future, that maybe that boundary could be crossed and that there was a chance that something more could happen. It was that dream, that hope, that had been containing his strong feelings for the brunette, keeping them in check; his patience was fueled by the very thought of that vision. However, now that he found out what Kari thought of him, he found the hope suddenly sapped out of him, gone from his body. Feeling vulnerable and weak, TK never knew words could hurt so much.

* * *

The rest of day flew by for TK; he hadn't really paid attention in school, sort of just going through with the motions as he attended classes, mingled, and avoided the usual fan girls that pestered him. By the time school was over, the blonde quickly made his out of the school and found himself getting ready to walk back home. With his backpack on, the blonde headed out on his walk, unaware of his environment.

The incident at the cafeteria still replayed repeatedly in his head. The more he thought about it, the more depressed TK grew. Kari's words were still fresh in his mind as if lunch had ended only moments ago. His feelings reacted the same way as it did before as he pondered about it but was mixed with a bit of anger, which was unusual for someone who rarely got mad. His anger stemmed not from the incident, however, but instead at himself. He was angry over his blindness over the years and inability to act on his emotions. He kept cursing himself for not realizing how beautiful and perfect Kari was before and how he chose the path of friendship over love all this time. He regretted thinking that patience was the way to fulfill his desired relationship with Kari; he should've just acted the moment he realized his feelings for the young brunette. If he had known being best friends with Kari would lead to his current situation beforehand, TK would have never gone down that path.

"TK!" The abrupt call snapped the blonde out of his thoughts as he turned around. His stomach clenched when he saw Kari, the one person he didn't want to see at the moment, running towards him. Her shoulder long, auburn hair was flowing seamlessly as the wind slightly blew. She had an alluring smile on her face; a smile that could melt away all the negativities the world had. Her brown eyes had a small glitter in them, shining with innocence and simple elegance. TK's stomach turned even more.

"Where are you going?" She asked as she approached him. The sweet smell of Kari filled TK's senses, intoxicating his mind like a drug. TK's stomach was officially bouncing up and down, churning every aching second.

"I was just going home. Why?"

Kari giggled at his statement. Her small laughter rang like an addicting melody throughout the blonde's head. TK's desperately wished to just grab a hold of his stomach and pin it down before it exploded. "You were going to walk home without me? Shame on you, TK." She teased him.

"Oh. I thought you were going to hang out with Jet again." TK replied with a hint of bitterness.

The brunette gave her best friend a confused look but still had a small smile on her face. "Why would you think that? Yesterday, I only stayed with him because your other friends were waiting for you."

"I see." A moment of awkwardness followed. Not wanting to further the silence, TK cleared his throat. "Well then, shall we walk?" Kari nodded in response. Soon, the two best friends started heading back to their homes.

Neither of them said a word to each other. The silence was definitely awkward for them as they normally would talk about school, friends, and other things when they shared their walks together. However, TK didn't mind; in fact, he embraced the quietness, not wanting to really talk to the girl that had crushed his heart.

But, much to the Digidestined of Hope's dismay, Kari broke the stillness. "How was your day at school?"

"Um…it was ok." He wanted to end the conversation immediately but felt bad if he didn't reciprocate the question. "How about yours?"

"It was ok too. I had a quiz in chemistry. I think I did alright in it."

"That's good." Another silence filled the atmosphere.

"Did you manage to get away from your fan club alright today?" Kari teased.

TK knew the brunette was trying to lighten the tension but he wasn't really in the mood to play her game. He simply shrugged and gave a quick nod at the question. Kari saw this and immediately fell quiet.

Finally, Kari managed to ask, "Is everything ok, TK?"

TK looked down at his counterpart and, as soon as he did, he was overwhelmed with affection for the girl. Kari was looking up at him with her puppy-like, chestnut eyes, filled with concern and uncertainty. TK didn't know why he was acting so cold towards Kari. It wasn't as if what she said was meant to harm him; she had said it with the best intentions. He realized his anger at himself was being directed towards the young and radiant girl. Seeing this, he sighed at his immaturity.

"Yeah…Everything's fine. I guess I just had a rough day." He gave her a weak grin.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

TK shook his head. "No, it's ok. It passed and I just need to get over it."

"I see…"

Not wanting another tension to build, TK quickly asked, "Anything new happen today?"

The blonde saw that Kari gladly accepted his attempt to ease the situation. "Um…" She had a concentrated look on her face as she bit her lower lip. She had a tendency to do that when something was on her mind.

"Something happened." TK remarked playfully. "I can tell." This caused the brunette to giggle. "Tell me. What's up?"

"Well…You know Jet, right?" Suddenly, TK's stomach started jumping around again.

"Yeah…" He cautiously answered.

"Well...He…sort of…asked me out today." Kari admitted. TK's heart stopped as soon as she finished. He suddenly went numb as he almost tripped over the gravel of the sidewalk. Luckily, he managed to regain his composure quickly; the blonde didn't want Kari to see how her revelation affected him.

"I see. What did you say?"

The young girl gave a pensive look. "I told him I would think about it." She slowly answered.

TK didn't know how to respond so he simply stated, "Interesting." It seemed that his day was getting worse and worse by the moment.

Kari then gave TK a curious look. "What do you think I should do?"

The question caught TK off guard and startled him. He didn't know why he felt such surprise; seeing him as her best friend, it was natural that Kari would ask him for his opinion and want to talk to him about the situation. That's what best friends did. But, regardless, the question stung the blonde's inside, just like Kari's earlier statement at the cafeteria did.

"Well…" He cautiously started. "Do you like him?"

The Digidestined of Light sighed. "I don't know. He's nice, good-looking, and he's really good at soccer. He's really kind to me and is pretty funny now that I've gotten to know him." Every word that came out of Kari's mouth was followed by a slow but sure feeling of dread inside TK. The anger that the blonde felt earlier was slowly creeping back inside his heart.

TK could tell Kari was looking for a response within the boy but he didn't know how to respond. Normally, he would say something neutral and encouraging, not wanting to make the decision for her but still letting her know he supported her no matter what. But, for obvious reasons, TK didn't feel like being the best friend he used to be. With the rage building up once again, TK found himself wanting to respond differently.

"I don't know, Kari." TK started in a somewhat brisk manner. "I think you could do better."

The brunette gave him an incredulous look. "What?"

"I mean, I don't see what's great about him." TK couldn't believe what he was saying but he continued anyways. "I think he's a bit of a jerk." He glumly added.

Kari stopped walking, causing TK to also halt a bit ahead of her. She continued to give him a stern but disbelieving stare. "Why would you say that, TK? You never judge people like that."

"Yeah well…maybe I do." He said with a tone of irritation. The young boy's anger was fully in control of his emotions.

"What's wrong with you? Why are you acting like this?"

"Acting like what?"

"Acting like a child!" TK could tell Kari was also getting mad. However, instead of realizing the dangerous thread he was walking on, TK only grew even more furious.

"Maybe I wouldn't act like a child if you wouldn't ask such a childish question!" The blonde snapped back.

"What?"

"If he had the courage to ask you out already, obviously you've been giving him signals for him to do so! If you're flirting with him and like the attention you're getting, then just go out with him! If not, then stop flirting with him and messing with his feelings." TK bitterly responded.

The blonde immediately wished he could take back his words once he looked at Kari. Hurt was written all over her face. Her angelic eyes shined as tears were forming while her lips trembled. She also had a disbelieving and pained look on her face. Worst of all, TK could see that Kari felt betrayed by him, deceived by her supposedly best friend. Never before had the blonde seen the young girl in such a hurt state. And never before did TK feel so full of regret and remorse over one single action. The once beautiful girl who wore an enticing smile on her face, full of genuine happiness and innocence, was crushed with pain brought on by the one person she trusted most: TK.

"Kari…" Before he could even say another word, Kari quickly walked past the blonde, coldly striding her way down the sidewalk, completely ignoring her counterpart. TK watched on, frozen by what had just happened. While he knew he should've ran after her or called out to her to try to apologize for his actions, he simply stood still and watched the brunette leave, speechless and in shock at what he had done. Soon, Kari had walked off to the point where he couldn't see her, not even once looking back. Alone and numb, TK covered his face with his hand out of shame and anger. Only, the anger no longer was directed to Kari; it was at himself. As he gritted his teeth, TK found himself somewhat shocked; once again, he never knew how much words could hurt so much.

* * *

By the time TK finished explaining Tuesday, Tai and Matt were both silent and pensive. A moment of silence filled the air as TK uncomfortably waited for a response of some sort from them.

Finally, Matt spoke up. "You…actually said that to her?"

TK nodded gravely.

"But…that's so unlike you, TK. What happened?" His older brother brought up, having a strong point.

The younger Digidestined sighed. "Yeah, it was really immature and stupid of me. And I'm not making any excuses for it. I guess, just from everything that happened that day, I just…lost it." He gave a weak and defeated smile. "I guess love makes you do stupid things."

"Whoa, whoa." Tai abruptly started. "You're using the 'L' word now?" He gave TK a serious look. "Don't use that word about my sister unless you mean it."

Instead of being intimidated by Tai's somewhat threat, TK sadly shook his head. "Tai…I think it's safe to say that…I'm crazily in love with Kari."

The Digidestined of Hope watched as Tai peered into his eyes, as if to see if he was sincere about his statement. After a while, a smile formed on the goggled head boy and he slapped TK on the back.

"Well, congratulations! It's about time, to tell you the truth."

TK gave his older counterpart a confused look. "You're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad? Listen, TK, I'm REALLY over-protective of my little sister. But, if there was one guy I would sort of approve of to date her…you would be closest to that guy."

Shocked at first, it took a while for TK to comprehend what the Digidestined of Courage was saying. When he did, he closed his eyes and gave a small smile. "Thanks, Tai. I really appreciate that. But, I think I blew it."

Tai gave a waving hand gesture. "Ah, forget about that. Kari gets mad but she eventually forgets about it; she can never stay mad at someone for too long."

Matt nodded in agreement. "Besides, friends fight all the time. Doesn't mean they're not friends anymore if they do. If you just apologize, then everything will be ok."

"Well, that's the thing…" TK started glumly with a sigh.

His older brother cocked his eye. "You DID apologize, right?"

The younger blonde scratched the back of his head. "Trust me, I've tried."

"But…" Tai added on.

TK sighed once again. "Well, you can imagine how I felt on Wednesday…"

* * *

Did you guys like it? Please, read and review! I appreciate the encouragement!


	4. Day Three: I Love You

Man, going through the days trying to find time to write is a lot harder than I thought. But regardless, I enjoy the few spare moments I get to write. Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

Day Three

With his alarm clock ringing sharply, TK groggily opened his eyes. Slowly and clumsily, he reached out his arm to turn off the blaring noise, smacking the alarm on the top, ending the buzzard. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The events of the previous day all started rushing in his mind. He silently had hoped that maybe it was all a dream but TK knew such childish thoughts were not pertained to reality. The jealously, anger, bitterness, and pain he had felt the day before all felt so foreign to him; for a moment, he really tried to figure out if he had imagined all of it. For a couple minutes, TK simply laid in his bed, contemplating on his thoughts.

He wasn't sure how to go about his day, with everything that had happened the day before. Without a doubt, things would be awkward and different. Kari was probably still hurt and angry at him over his comments and their argument. The best thing to do was to apologize for his actions but even TK didn't know if Kari would accept his apology yet. The more he thought about it, the more he realized exactly how harsh and insensitive he was. If he were Kari, he wouldn't forgive himself so easily. With that thought in mind, the young blonde groaned under his blankets.

He checked the time once more only to find that he needed to get out of bed and rush to school otherwise he would be late. Grudgingly, TK rustled out of bed, stretched, and slowly made his way to the bathroom. As he brushed his teeth, he looked at himself through the reflection of the bathroom mirror. Suddenly, it dawned on him that he had homework last night that he didn't do. With the argument yesterday that completely took his attention, he had forgotten about his schoolwork. TK groaned once more; Wednesday was going to be a long day.

* * *

The bell rang sharply, ending TK's history class. The blonde quickly got out of his seat and made his way out to the main hallway of the school. Crowds of other students filled the area, busily preparing at their respective lockers for the next upcoming class. As TK opened his locker and switched books from his backpack to his locker, he couldn't help but desire for the day to just end. However, it was only half done and already he was having a bad day.

The homework he had forgotten to do was actually a pretty big assignment and he had gotten an extensive scolding from his teacher for not doing it. On top of that, he had just found out that TK had a test in a couple days that he did not study for at all. School was never his strong point in life but, regardless, the blonde was always a capable student that was on top of his academics. For him to be so absent-minded was unusual for him and left him nothing but a frustrated feeling. But even the struggle of his student life didn't compare to the other problems he had.

It was a little past lunch time and still, TK hadn't had a chance to see, let alone talk, to Kari. Normally, the two found time throughout their day to find each other and talk; for the two best friends to go on for so long without the presence of one another was very unusual. However, given what had happened the day before, TK couldn't say he was surprised. Even though he understood, the blonde still yearned to see Kari; not just to explain and apologize for his actions but just to be around her. He missed the sight of her, seeing the young brunette's cheerful and innocent attitude and the warm smile she always had whenever the two met up. He wanted his senses to be filled with the trailing sweet scent of Kari whenever he was around her, reminding him of subtle hints of strawberries. He missed hugging her, holding her slender body in his arms, even if the embrace was for just a brief moment. Like an addicting drug, being away from his best friend for so long had brought out a couple withdraw symptoms from him. While he never showed it, he found himself anxious, more easily annoyed, and upset throughout his day. His mind was constantly distracted from the moment which led to many times when TK would be confused and lost at school.

TK sighed as he slammed his locker shut. If he had known that the following day would be so terrible, he would have literally taped his mouth shut, mentally beat the crap out of the heart, and simply gone along with the role of being a best friend the other day.

But the blonde knew that he would eventually get a chance to at least see Kari. The following class was science, a class that the two shared. If anything, he could try to catch the brunette after class and talk then. He needed to do so; TK wasn't sure how much longer he could go on holding everything in and acting so casually. He just wanted to burst out with emotions, just to let Kari know how sorry he was.

As he walked to his next class, the young boy caught a glimpse of a girl with short brown hair not too far from him. A sudden surge of excitement and queasiness overwhelmed him but it quickly left when he realized that the girl wasn't Kari; it was just another girl with the same hairstyle as her. TK groaned at his imagination playing tricks on him; Wednesday was going to be a long and bad day.

* * *

Science couldn't have gone any slower that day. As TK found himself zoning out for the fifth time in class, he couldn't help but stare at the young girl who was seated not too far ahead of him. From what he could tell, she was attentively listening to the teacher who was writing school material on the main board. Kari had, essentially, ignored TK before class, quietly talking with her other friends while TK conversed with his. The blonde made no efforts to reach out to his best friend, partially out of the fear that she was still angry and out of understanding; if Kari didn't want to talk to him, which he didn't blame her for not wanting to, then he would respect her decision. However, the lack of communication was killing TK inside. All he wanted to do was just yell how sorry he was in front of everybody, make a fool of himself, if it meant it would make things better between them. But, he kept it to himself and simply went through the motions of attending class.

TK knew he should be paying attention in class. Science was his weakest subject and the teacher was going over some important information. But no matter how hard he tried, he just could not stop his mind from daydreaming or getting caught up in his thoughts. It was simply torture.

A slight movement from Kari's direction made the blonde glance over. The brunette was quietly stretching in her seat as she took a small break from writing. And then, as if she could feel someone was watching her, her eyes darted to the side and made eye contact with TK. It was a brief connection between the two, the first of the whole day, but that quick exchange made TK's stomach jump and made his heart rate go up. He could see in Kari's eyes the uneasiness and uncertainty that was built up inside of her due to the circumstance. But, before anything further could happen, the young girl broke off the connection and quickly looked away.

TK sighed. It was crazy to think how one fight could make things so awkward between two good friends. Maybe it was because it was their first real fight or because the two were simply introverted people who didn't know how to deal with the situation, but TK realized things shouldn't be so difficult. Normal friends either talked through their fights or simply got mad at each other for a certain time period and then made up. But, TK and Kari weren't doing neither of the two. They weren't speaking to each other, both unable to confront such a conflict, and, from what TK could tell, the two were not mad at each other; just uneasy and uncertain.

It was a frustrating predicament, especially for the blonde. He needed to sit down and talk with Kari before the day was over but opportunities to do so seemed slim. It wasn't even about professing his feelings to her; he just wanted to get their friendship back on track. And yet, while he knew what he had to do, he just couldn't bring himself to face the young girl.

TK started playing with his pencil absent-mindedly. The more TK thought about it, the more crazy it seemed that one girl would be the source of so much stress in his life. It seemed surreal that he was getting all worked up, nervous, and hesitant about her. But then again, it wasn't just any girl; it was Kari. TK had known the brunette ever since she was just a cute, naïve, and innocent little girl. He had watched her grow up, not only physically, but also mentally through their journeys together and watched her become a smart and beautiful girl. And in the duration he had known her, befriended her, and watched her grow up, never did it cross his mind how lucky he was to have Kari in his life. The brunette and what she stood for in TK's life were the source of his laughter, his cheerful attitude, throughout a normal day. If not for her, he wasn't sure how different his life would be.

TK stopped playing with his pencil and scowled slightly to himself. He just had to talk to her before the day was over. He needed to tell her how sorry he was. How grateful he was. Otherwise, he would be doing her and their entire relationship a huge injustice. Kari had to know exactly how important she was in the blonde's life.

Before his thoughts could transgress anymore, the school bell rang sharply throughout the classroom, signaling the end of the class. Full of determination, TK got up from his seat and made his way towards Kari, who was packing her things into her backpack. Her back was turned on him so she was unaware that the blonde was approaching behind her. But before he could greet her or have her acknowledge his presence, a tug from behind halted him in his steps. TK turned around only to be greeted by a blonde girl in his science class, Kat. She had a mischievous smile on her face.

"Hey TK." She purred in a seductive manner.

"Uh…Hey Kat." TK's momentum was suddenly thrown off. He lost his composure, his determination, by the distraction of his classmate.

"Oh TK!" Without any warning, Kat threw herself onto TK, hugging the confused young boy. "You have no idea how hard I tried to get your attention during class! But it's ok; all that matters is that you notice me now."

TK, shocked and unsure of the situation, tried to squirm his way out of the girl's grasp. "Kat! What are you doing???"

"Aw, you're so cute TK! Don't act like you don't know what's going on. I've noticed how you kept staring at me during lunch! And all I have to say is yes! Yes, I am interested!"

TK's mouth threw agape. He didn't recollect ever staring at Kat during lunch, let alone ever even noticing her. "W-What are you talking about?"

Kat gave him a small giggle. "Come on, TK! It was so obvious! You kept staring at me, not even blinking, with your deep cerulean eyes! I was like, blushing so much!"

Then, it hit him. During lunch, during most of the day actually, TK let himself zone off in his thoughts, unaware of his surroundings. He caught himself so many times just getting so warped in his mind that he lost function over his body and let his body go into auto-pilot. It was very possible that, during his daze, he had been lifelessly and accidentally staring at Kat. The realization made his stomach turn.

"Uh…Kat, I think there's a misunderstanding…" TK started but before he could continue, he saw Kari turn around and give notice to the blonde. Given his situation, with a young girl draped all over him, holding him affectionately, TK could tell Kari was getting the wrong impression. Definitely not the way TK planned to catch the brunette's attention.

"Wait! Kari, it's not what you think!"

Before TK could defend himself further, Kat budded in, "Oh TK…don't be so shy! I think people should know how much we care about each other!" Then, to Kari, she exclaimed, "He just couldn't stop staring at me during lunch! And now he's trying to cover up his actions because he's too shy. Isn't he just adorable?" The blonde girl held onto TK harder. "Don't we make a great couple?"

Kari, with an emotionless face, simply nodded. "Yeah, you guys do."

TK's insides twisted. Unable to say anything due to shock, TK just watched as Kari quickly picked up her things and left the classroom. When she left the room, the blonde cursed silently. He couldn't believe how unlucky he was. The timing of everything was just completely off, as if fate itself was trying to break apart the two best friends.

"I'm going to tell all my friends! They'll be so jealous when they hear we're together now!" Kat cuddled next to TK, who groaned outwardly. An opportunity completely blown. And not only that but now he had to deal with the clinging girl on him and settle it with her before the rumors could spread. Wednesday was going to be a long, bad, and weary day.

* * *

"KARI!" TK yelled as he ran franticly towards the young girl. Unable to cope with the idea that their rift would linger on to the next day, TK desperately searched for his best friend as soon as school ended. Through pure luck and sharp eyes, he was able to spot her walking off, by herself, back to her apartment. Not caring about how to approach her, he just yelled after her, trying to get her attention.

And he succeeded. Kari stopped walking and turned around, only to be greeted by a charging TK. Much to TK's surprise, the brunette actually waited for him to catch up to her. That alone was a clear sign that she too wanted to talk with the blonde.

By the time he had reached her, TK was huffing from all the running. A small trace of sweat beaded down his forehead but, despite the fatigue, he gathered his composure and continued on with his mission.

"Kari…" He started as he rhythmically tried to catch his breath.

"Yes, TK?" Kari asked in a somewhat detached tone.

"Listen Kari, I just wanted to say…how sorry I am for everything." When he saw that his words didn't change the atmosphere, the blonde continued, "I shouldn't have said those things I said yesterday. I can't even believe I said it in the first place."

Kari sighed. "TK, we really shouldn't talk right now."

"Why though?"

"Because, I'm still a little bit angry at you."

"And you should be!" TK insisted. "Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't even consider me as a friend! But I can't take the fact that this is going to linger on for more than a day. I mean, I don't know about you but just today alone was pretty bad for me."

"But it's going to linger, TK!"

The young boy gave Kari a perplexed look. "Why? Why is it going to linger?"

"Because…I was pretty hurt by your comments the other day." Kari softly remarked. "Hurt that you, the person I trusted the most, could say those things. And that kind of pain needs time to get over."

A silence filled the air. TK didn't know how to respond to her confession. He imagined that once he said sorry, everything would get better. It never occurred to him that talking to Kari would instead make him feel worse.

Kari looked TK in the eyes. "TK, you can't expect this to just blow over now that you've said sorry. Nor can you expect everything to back to the way things were so quickly. You just need understand and give me my time."

"Ok, I can understand that." TK answered. He bit his lower lip, hesitated, and then spoke up once more. "But at least get mad at me!"

Kari gave him a confused look. "What?"

"Get mad at me! Scold me! Or do something, Kari! Yell at me at the top of your lungs, call me belittling names, and just let me know how much of a jerk I was yesterday!" TK pleaded. "I would much rather have you do that than just ignore me."

"You…want me to get mad at you?"

"Yes! At least, through that, I'll know I'm being punished rightly. With this silent treatment, I feel like…I feel like I've made a mistake but I'm not being punished for it. And that makes me feel worse than I already am." He confessed.

Kari gave TK a long pensive stare. "TK, I'm not going to just burst out of anger and--"

"But you should. You have every right to! And by not doing so just makes me feel bad about it."

"You're not making any sense."

"I know! I know I'm not." TK let out a frustrating sigh. He thought that he had everything planned out for his talk with Kari. He went over it countless times in his head but, now that he was actually doing it, his mind was jumbled and his words weren't as smooth and coherent as he imagined. It was crazy how nervous and frustrated he felt. He wanted to talk to Kari to apology and let everything out but found that it was TK who was blowing up out of anger instead of Kari. He couldn't believe how nonsensical everything was. His heart was fluttering every minute of being around the brunette, not helping his anxiety or his lack of composure.

"Look, Kari." TK started. "I just want you to know that…I'm really sorry for what happened yesterday. And it's been driving me crazy the whole day. And it's driving me even crazier that this conversation isn't going the way I planned it."

The two best friends stared at one another. Neither of them looked away. For TK, it was more out of fear; fear that if he broke the gaze, it would disrupt the momentum of his apology. Finally, Kari closed her eyes as she sighed.

"TK…why…?" She muttered.

TK gave her a quizzical look. "Why…?"

Suddenly, in a rush of emotions he rarely saw out of the brunette, Kari burst, "Why would you say those things you said yesterday? I mean, it was so unlike you! And it's not even just the words; the manner of how you said it, your attitude, everything was so…dark about you that day! I've been going through this entire day, wondering what could possible make you, the kindest, sweetest, and most good-hearted guy I know, to explode like the way you did. And I can't come up with an answer! It's infuriating because now, I'm thinking maybe it's something I did that was wrong. Was it, TK? Was it something I did that day?"

"What? No! Of course not!" The blonde hotly protested.

"Then what was it? Why did you say those things yesterday?!" Kari was almost at yelling level as tears started to form in the corners of her eyes.

TK was flabbergasted. While he knew why, TK wasn't sure if the current moment was the right one to confess the truth; that he was in love with her. He was desperately in love with her. The entire day and how he was so miserable being so separated from her were testimonies to that love.

Kari just stared at the blonde, waiting for an answer. TK needed to be quick on his feet but, for some reason, time just slowed down. Seconds of silence that followed felt like an eternity as he soon felt foolish for just standing there, not replying or saying a word to the young girl before him. He needed to say something, anything, but his mind was just blank. He realized he couldn't lie to her, not while she looked at him with her hurt eyes. He needed to tell her. The moment may not be right but the circumstance made it almost necessary for him to do so.

"Because…" TK paused. Confessing his love to her was, unsurprisingly, extremely difficult. It was as if the words were in his mouth, at the tip of his tongue, but were refusing to leave. He mentally cursed at himself. Kari wanted an explanation and she deserved one! But his mind just wasn't allowing the explanation come out smoothly. "Because…I…I…I…"

"You what, TK?"

"I…I…" The blonde sighed. He couldn't do it. He just couldn't profess his feelings to her yet. The moment wasn't right. If he did tell her, it wouldn't make the situation any better; if anything, TK could see it getting worse from it. Already emotional and stressed, Kari didn't need to be burdened even more by his feelings. It would just complicate her life and, given the situation, more complications are the last thing she needed. She needed him to be a friend and he was failing miserably at that.

"I…was just having a bad day." He lied. Immediately, guilt and shame overwhelmed him as soon as he did. He could tell that Kari knew he was lying just by the way she was looking at him. He could also tell that a sense of disappointment and frustration filled the brunette. But, regardless, he just couldn't bring himself to admit his emotions. It just didn't feel like the right moment.

"I see." Kari responded after a moment of pause. She had been carefully examining the blonde's face, as if to mentally interrogate him and get the truth out of him. But TK did not waver. He stood by his lie, despite the fact he wasn't proud he did so. Kari, in response, turned away, back facing TK.

"Well, I hope you don't have any more bad days." With that, the brunette walked away from the still young boy. TK didn't run after her or tell her to stop. He just watched as his best friend continued off into the horizon, leaving him to his thoughts. TK wasn't proud of himself; he had just lied to his best friend. And even though nothing went according to plan, he felt a little better knowing that at least he had a chance to see, talk, and be around Kari. That knowledge alone seemed to soothe his day a little better.

Kari mentioned that she needed time. And while it would slowly kill him, TK didn't mind it and knew he would respect her wishes. He would be patient and understanding. He would support her in all of her wishes even at the sacrifice of his own personal happiness. Because he knew, in the end, Kari deserved it. TK just wasn't sure if he deserved her.

* * *

"Well, it sounds like you two made up." Tai exclaimed after TK went over Wednesday with the two older males.

"Really?" The blonde freshmen asked. "You think so?"

"Yeah. Kari didn't seem like she was mad or anything; just a bit hurt. But, I'm sure by now, you guys are all good, right? I mean, if this happened on Wednesday, then that means that was five days ago."

"Yeah…but a lot happened in those five days." TK added.

Matt nodded in agreement. "It seems like there's more to the story."

Tai gave a surprised look. "You know, TK, you guys sure do go through a lot over one argument."

"Well, I mean, it wasn't just about that incident. A part of the reason why this whole mess lasted so long was also because of how I felt about Kari." The blonde answered.

"I agree. Those emotions can really complicate things." Matt replied. "But I don't think you should have lied to Kari."

Tai got up from his chair. "Yeah! Come on, TK. You had a really good opportunity to tell her everything! Why didn't you?" The crazy haired boy paused for a moment. "You know, I never thought I would live to see the day where I would actually help someone get with my sister."

TK chuckled at the older boy's comment. "Yeah, I'm really grateful you're not beating me to a pulp right now."

"But Tai is right, TK. You should've told her at that moment." TK's older brother chimed in.

TK sighed. "I know…Maybe I should've. But, honestly, at the time, she was really stressed out! And it was because of me! I didn't want to complicate her life even more than it already was."

Matt rolled his eyes while Tai gave an exaggerated sigh. They both looked at each other in a knowing manner. Many of the older Digidestined agreed that TK and Kari would be a perfect match. However, they also agreed, that the one thing that could potentially stop them from being with each other was their selflessness. Both of them shared the same trait in that they always thought of others before themselves and both of them were willing to push aside their own desires for each other, even if those desires were the same.

"So, then, what happened on Thursday?" Tai asked, trying to cover up his brief exchange with his best friend.

"Well, Thursday was an unusual day, to be honest." TK pondered. "It started off like any other day…"

* * *

Did you guys like? Personally, I'm like neutral about this chapter. I tried to think of ways to spice it up but…I realized, in the bigger picture, it's best to leave this chapter as sort of a…build-up for the up-coming chapters. Please R&R!!!


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